What if?
by HarmoniousPie
Summary: Special Agent Tim McGee thinks back on why he joined NCIS. Written for the Making of McGee challenge on the NFA forums. ONESHOT!


Hey, I hope you all enjoy this. It was my first true piece of NCIS fanfiction (though certainly not my first piece of fanfiction). It was written for the NFA Making of McGee challenge.

The timeline of Tims life may be a little off...but there are some things we just don't know.

This takes place at some point after Twisted Sister and Smoked (4x09 and 4x10).

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing related to NCIS except the dream to kidnap Sean Murray and marry him

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NCIS Special Agent Tim McGee stood staring out the window of the squad room. They had caught the killer of Captain Gregory Morse and now the only thing he could think of was a question Ziva had asked him on their car ride as he had been explaining that he had two degrees from two different yet equally famous schools.

"What made you join NCIS? I mean you could have done anything right? You have a Masters in Computer Forensics and a Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering. Why join NCIS?" she had asked.

**FLASHBACK**

_Train from Baltimore to Boston now loading at Track 15. Baltimore to Boston now loading at Track 15._

24 year-old Timothy McGee grabbed his bag off of the bench he had been sitting on and headed through the station to Track 15. He'd just ended a weeklong trip to visit his parents and was now on his way back to Cambridge, MIT, and his independent study in advanced string theory. As he settled into his seat on the train he thought back on his week. Much of it was spent talking about his studies with his father but there was one day that his father told him about a bunch of missions done by NCIS that had recently taken place in Europe. Obviously his father couldn't give him any details about the missions including the nature of them or the agents involved in them since they were classified but he told Tim what he could.

He remembered that quite a few of the stories had revolved around a former Marine who had joined NCIS when he (Tim) was 14 and a junior in high school. He had unparalleled skills and had learned quickly about investigating under his boss. The man was a genius when it came to figuring out who committed the crime and why. He could be scary in interrogation and then kind to the victim's family—unless they were the ones he was interrogating. He was also good at training new agents which he had been doing in Europe. The agent he was assigned was turning out to be one of the best new agents that NCIS had seen in a while. He was also very good at getting fast autopsy results because he pushed the ME he worked with.

According to his father the agent was currently undercover in Russia but when he returned he would be given control of the Major Crimes Response Team. He wondered what it would be like to go on secret missions and investigate crimes. There had to be something he could do in crime solving with his degrees. For the rest of the train ride McGee imagined himself as a sort of geeky James Bond. As the train was pulling into South Station McGee had decided he'd call his dad and ask about working at NCIS.

Three T rides later McGee found himself at his apartment in Cambridge. He grabbed the phone and started dialing his parent's number while dropping hid bag in his room.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom its me." he said.

"You got home alright then?" she asked making sure nothing had happened to Tim.

"Yes, Mom. Can I talk to Dad for a minute? I have a question I want to ask him."

"Of course." She said before handing the phone to her husband.

"What is it, Timothy? You have a question for me?"

"Yeah. I was wondering how someone went about working for NCIS. It sounds interesting."

"You have to go to FLETC—that's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center—first and then apply for open positions at the agency you wish to work at. If you're really interested I can send up a FLETC application for you to look over."

"That would be great. Thanks Dad."

They chatted for a couple more minutes before saying goodbye and hanging up. Tim smiled to himself. Yes, NCIS seemed like a very interesting place to work.

**END FLASHBACK**

"You alright there, Probie Wan?" asked Tony DiNozzo.

"I'm fine Tony. I was just thinking about something that Ziva asked me earlier today."

"And what did our resident Mossad ninja ask you?"

"I asked him why he joined NCIS, Tony." Ziva replied from directly behind DiNozzo causing him to flinch in surprise.

"So McFlashback? Why did you join NCIS? Needed a way to find cases for LJ Tibbs?" Tony joked pleased to find yet another of teasing McGee about his book.

"It was because of my dad. The year before I went to FLETC I was doing an independent study at MIT. I went down to Baltimore for a week to visit my parents. One day my Dad was telling me about this NCIS agent who had done all these really cool but classified missions over in Europe and once he had completed the one he was on then he'd be given the command of MCRT." McGee paused for a moment. It wasn't possible. He'd never made the connection before but what if…?

"What is it McGee?" Ziva asked.

"Well, I was just thinking…what if the agent my Dad was telling me about…what if it was Gibbs?"


End file.
